RIO DE JANEIRO – An early head kick nearly made Diego Brandao’s night easy against Joey Gambino.

Gambino proved tough to finish, but the winner of “The Ultimate Fighter 14″ ultimately pitched a shutout on the scorecards, winning 30-27 on all three.

The featherweight bout was part of the preliminary card of Saturday’s UFC 153 event at HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro. It aired on FX following additional prelims on Facebook and ahead of a main card on pay-per-view.

Brandao and Gambino weren’t nearly as shy as the previous combatants on UFC 153’s preliminary card. The reality show winner immediately got to work with a head kick that temporarily put down Gambino. As it turned out, Gambino wasn’t hurt as he appeared, and the two went to work on their feet.

A few of Brandao’s leg kicks slammed into Gambino’s thigh, but overall, the Brazilian was considerably more measured. Gambino twice found a home for his straight right, and Brandao took advantage of a clinch to secure a takedown. In side-control, he worked punches and worked to get mount position. Gambino recovered guard and nearly got his head taken off by a head kick. A nice left hook scored for him with short time left in the first round.

Gambino scored early with a stiff punch in the second, but less than a minute into the round, an overhand right from Brandao dropped him. Brandao scrambled and took mount, again forcing Gambino to work for guard. The position provided little respite when Brandao landed big elbows, but Gambino got his attention with an armbar attempt that forced him to squirm away. The two jockeyed in the clinch after resetting on their feet, and Brandao was again successful in getting the takedown. He was provided no time to work, however, when referee Fernando Yamasaki prematurely stood them up. Immediately, it appeared Brandao might be running low on gas. Gambino attempted to capitalize, and Brandao briefly played possum before unleashing a spinning backfist as the frame came to a close.

A fresher Gambino put together combinations and scored with punches. But he gambled on a side kick and took a right hand that put him on the mat. Instead of following his opponent to the mat, Brandao implored him to stand, and a clinch soon followed. Again, Brandao capitalized on the position and got the takedown, and Gambino tied him up as he attempted to score from up top. A bloody Gambino tried to lock in a triangle and was overpowered. After recovering to their feet, Gambino again let combinations go. A few punches cracked Brandao, but they only motivated him to clown his opponent in the final seconds of the fight.

“It was very strategic,” Brandao said. “You could see I didn’t go in for the kill. I wanted to put my training to the test. I didn’t just train at my gym, I did fights in my gym. I believe everything went according to plan. He did cut me right at the begining, but I don’t mind, I like blood. I didn’t expect the crowd to cheer so much. I mean, I saw how crazy it was in a previous UFC in Rio, but I’m just Diego, I’m not a Jose Aldo or anything.”

“He didn’t surprise me – what surprised me was me,” Gambino said. “My game plan didn’t work. A few things went right, but it could be better. Now I’m gonna take some time and then get back to training.”

Brandao (15-8 MMA, 2-1 UFC) gets back to the winner’s circle following a decision loss to Darren Elkins that halted momentum built from his “TUF” triumph. Following a 9-0 run on the regional circuit, Gambino (9-2 MMA, 0-2 UFC), a training partner of welterweight champ Georges St-Pierre, remains winless in the octagon.

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